Now we are going to switch gears. So far, we
have been talking about the science of Astronomy. Now we are
going to learn about how to look at the sky. Astronomy will
become exciting for you when you can look at the stars and
constellations and say some of their names.

Sometimes people spend a lot of money to buy a
brand new telescope. They get home, open the box, and when they
go outside to use it they can't find a single thing. These
people get mad and end up putting their new telescope back in the
box, never to use it again.

They are frustrated because they expected to be
able to look right through the telescope and see beautiful
things. But they did not take the time to learn how to find the
things they were hoping to see. How do we find things in the sky?

When we travel in a car we find our way by using a
map. These maps are broken up into different areas such as
countries, states and cities. In Astronomy we also use
maps. Just like street maps, sky maps are also broken up
into different areas. Instead of states, each area of the sky
is called a constellation.

To help us find an object we need to look at a map
of the sky. Before you can use a skymap though you need to
learn the constellations.

The most important thing you can do to start
yourself off on the right foot is to learn the
constellations. Go to the store and buy a good star
map, or go to http://www.skymaps.com
to download a free sky map which you can print right from your
computer. Spend a few nights a week outside looking for
each of the constellations.

It is not always easy to find the constellations at
first, and is going to take some time. But it really is the
most important thing you can do. To make it easier, let's talk
about how to use a sky map.

A sky map should be held up above your
head. The best way to do this is to lay on your back, hold the
map above your head with the "N" pointing
North. If you need help, ask an adult. Remember, the
constellations look much bigger in the sky than they do on your
sky map.

Assignment # 5

Find the Constellation Ursa Major in the night time
sky. Hint: Ursa Major is also called The Big Dipper.